The Weekly Primer

A waitress gone wild might have stopped Stephen Jackson. But not the Spurs, who took advantage from slip-ups from Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Clippers to pull within half a game of the Western Conference — and NBA — lead.

Their next round of fixtures features what should be a tasty appetizer in New Orleans before moving on to a three-course meal highlighted by a visit from their old foe the Lakers before what should be a tough single-game road trip to Memphis.

The week ahead

at New Orleans (8-25), 7 p.m. tonight: We can’t figure out how, but the Hornets have managed to give the Spurs a couple of good games this season despite their horrendous record.

Los Angeles Lakers (15-18), 7 p.m. Wednesday: Think the Spurs might enjoy shoveling a few more loads of dirt on the coffin of their long-time rivals/tormentors?

at Memphis (21-10), 7 p.m. Friday: We can only hope for a redux of the previous meeting, a taut overtime affair won by the Spurs after roaring back from double-digits.

Minnesota (15-15), 6 p.m. Sunday: No, it’s not a EuroLeague game, but it might feel that way with 12 total players hailing from outside the continental United States.

Around the NBA

Miami at Indiana, 7 p.m. Tuesday: The Pacers still sting from their failure to put Miami down in last year’s playoffs.

Memphis at Golden State, 9:30 p.m. Wednesday: Former cupcakes are now potential contenders.

Chicago at New York, 7 p.m. Friday: The Bulls’ ability to thrive without Derrick Rose continues to impress.

Golden State at Denver, 7 p.m. Sunday: Plenty of points should be had between two offensive powers.

In case you missed it

* As we approach the halfway point, it’s looking like a serious question whether the Lakers, currently mired in 11th place in the Western Conference at 15-18, are even going to make the playoffs. Magic Johnson embarked on a Twitter rant on Monday, challenging the players to take responsibility for their season, while a disputed New York Daily News report alleges that Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard got into it after a recent loss to the 76ers. Howard’s assessment of the difference between the Lakers and the soaring Clippers, who also beat his team last week? “They share the ball.”

* For all their altruism, the Clippers’ franchise-record win streak couldn’t last forever. It came to an emphatic end at 17 games with consecutive double-digit losses at Denver and Golden State. They bounced back with victories over the Lakers and Warriors, and remain in a virtual tie with Oklahoma City for the league’s best record at 27-8. Let this sink in for a second: We’re almost halfway through the season, and THE CLIPPERS ARE TIED FOR THE LEAGUE’S BEST RECORD. If still don’t believe me, you can check out the NBA standings for yourself.

* Example 10,872 why LeBron James is the best player on the planet: He scored 23 points in Sunday’s victory over Washington, his 36th straight game with at least 20 to start the season. According to ELIAS Sports, it is the longest streak to start the season since George Gervin scored 20 or more points in 45 straight in 1981-82. Include last year’s playoffs, and LeBron’s run stretches to an astounding 53 games.

– was re-tweeted more than 50,000 times. He had more than 200,000 followers within a few hours of joining and is now up to almost 570,000. (For the record, I have 772 as of 2 p.m. on Monday.) Multiple sources say Tim Duncan would only join Twitter with a gun to his head.

* Poor, poor Timberwolves. Just a few weeks after getting Ricky Rubio back, All-Star power forward Kevin Love broke his hand for the second time this season. Minnesota GM David Kahn wouldn’t provide a timeline, but said Love would be out “a number of weeks.” The Bearded One had been averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds per game but was shooting a miserable 35 percent from the floor.

* The feud between the Houston Rockets and first-round draft pick Royce White hit a new low with an indefinite suspension for “refusing to provide services” — i.e. he refused once again to report for a Developmental League assignment. White, who suffers from anxiety, took to Twitter, saying he was protesting the lack of protocol for his condition rather than playing in the D-League.

* Even the mild-mannered, mother-kissing Kevin Durant has a breaking point. He reached it in last week’s home loss to Brooklyn, earning the first ejection of his career as his frustration boiled over with a few choice words. Durant being Durant, It was still one of the nicer ejections in NBA history as he made sure to high-five a couple of kids on his way back to the locker room.